The Flash Season Finale: What the Introduction of Multiple Universes Could Mean for DC Television

Fans have been speculating that The Flash will introduce the DC multiverse ever since a Redditor noticed a behind-the-scenes shot of Earth-2 Flash Jay Garrick's helmet on the set of Legends of Tomorrow. The helmet appears while Harrison Wells is in a Time Sphere, leading many to believe that Earth-2 and the multiverse would be introduced very soon, possibly during tonight's season finale of The Flash. And yesterday, star Grant Gustin made waves when he seemed to confirm this fan theory:

"What's fun about this show is that there's going to be multiple timelines as we move forward," he told TV Guide. "I think we're going to start showing Earth-One and Earth-Two in the near future. There will be kind of different dimensions going on."

This is big news for DC fans! Introducing multiple universes, such as those that exist in DC Comics' Multiverse, could have enormous ramifications for the future of not only The Flash, but all of the DC shows on TV right now.

For instance, the Flash traveling to other universes could make final the realization that there are other superheroes in his own universe. If Barry Allen does travel to Earth Two, chances are he's going to meet up with Jay Garrick (the first iteration of the Flash created by DC back in 1940, and the current Flash in the Earth Two universe). Jay Garrick's universe is also filled with other versions of our classic superheroes - such as Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern to name a few.

While it's way too early to tell, the Flash's travels to Earth Two could open his eyes to the fact that there are other beings with superpowers in his own universe. In light of this, as well as the recent reference to a missing pilot for Ferris Air and Stephen Amell's statement about part of Arrow taking place in Coast City next season, it seems increasingly likely that Green Lantern will make an appearance in the near future.

Introducing multiple universes could also mean greater possibilities for DC TV show crossovers in the near future. There's been a lot of discussion about whether or not the Flash and Arrow will cross over with CBS's Supergirl. While the producers of the shows have said that it almost certainly will not have such crossovers in the first season, introducing multiple universes makes it more likely that the two networks could make a crossover work without shaking up either show too much.

And even more exciting, the introduction of the multiverse could potentially mean a crossover between DC's TV universe and DC's Cinematic Universe. Last year, DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns said,

"Well, Arrow and Flash are the same universe, and we get a lot of great story out of that - especially when we have episodes that cross them over, but that's also where our superhero universe lives. We look at it as the multiverse. We have our TV universe and our film universe, but they all co-exist."

He could have simply meant this as a figure of speech, but the introduction of a television multiverse has to make you wonder if a crossover between the DCTVU and the DCCU could be planned for the future. While this may seem unlikely, especially with the recent revelation that Ezra Miller's Flash will likely be Barry Allen as well, the possibility can't be completely counted out.

The Flash's season finale, "Fast Enough," airs tonight at 8pm ET on the CW.